SEASONAL24_040_KK.JPG Kohlrabi is the bulbous member of the cabbage family. Chef Andrew Thorpe of Matterhorn Swiss restaurantprovides us with this kohlrabi. He serves kohlrabi in a number of ways. The recipes he is giving us is for a creamed version. Photo by Kim Komenich/The Chronicle. **Andrew Thorpe �2007, San Francisco Chronicle/ Kim Komenich MANDATORY CREDIT FOR PHOTOG ANT SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE. - MAGS OUT.

Photo: Kim Komenich

SEASONAL24_040_KK.JPG Kohlrabi is the bulbous member of the...

Image 2 of 2

SEASONAL24_025_KK.JPG
Chef Andrew Thorpe of Matterhorn Swiss restaurant holds a piece of kohlrabi. Kohlrabi is the bulbous member of the cabbage family. He serves kohlrabi in a number of ways. The recipes he is giving us is for a creamed version.
Photo by Kim Komenich/The Chronicle.
**Andrew Thorpe �2007, San Francisco Chronicle/ Kim Komenich
MANDATORY CREDIT FOR PHOTOG ANT SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE. - MAGS OUT.

Andrew Thorpe is neither surprised nor offended when diners leave one vegetable on their plates, untouched.

"Californians basically don't know kohlrabi," says the chef at San Francisco's Swiss restaurant, the Matterhorn. Once they get brave and do taste this little-known member of the brassica family (they of antioxidant fame), chances are, they'll like it.

That's definitely what happened with several members of the Food department staff who had their first experience with the vegetable when we tested Thorpe's recipe for creamed kohlrabi. As it happened, we were testing a fried chicken recipe at the same time, and the two dishes proved a perfect match.

Thorpe, who is half British and half Swiss, but mostly grew up in the German-speaking part of Switzerland, likes a similar pairing of the creamy vegetable with crispy meat, serving it as an accompaniment to Wiener Schnitzel, the iconic Viennese breaded fried veal.

Actually, Thorpe says kohlrabi is a versatile vegetable. Its mild flavor, partway between cabbage and turnips, marries easily with a lot of dishes.

Move over, mashed potatoes

Cooked and pureed, it can stand in for mashed potatoes; it can also be baked or grilled. Uncooked, it can be cut into small batons and dressed in vinaigrette (preferably with a good dash of mustard) as a crisp, raw side dish.

Tim Mueller, who grows a small amount of kohlrabi at his Yolo County organic Riverdog Farm, likes the vegetable but agrees that it's not exactly a best-seller here.

On a good day at one of the farmers' markets he frequents, he may sell a dozen bundles of either light green or purple kohlrabi. He plants both, but prefers the former because the purple kind is a slower grower and therefore more likely to get woody in the center.

It's for that same reason that Thorpe advises people against buying large bulbs. Small kohlrabi, no bigger than a tangerine, are the most likely to be crisp and moist.

According to historical notes, the kohlrabi is not an ancient vegetable. It is first mentioned in some 16th-century German culinary writings, though by the 19th century it had become a common winter vegetable in Central and Eastern Europe and had traveled all the way to China, where it is commonly served pickled.

Proper ID

Though it is often combined with other cold-weather vegetables such as carrots, turnips and rutabagas (all great coated in a little olive oil and roasted), the kohlrabi is not a root vegetable. Its edible bulb forms above ground.

And if this vegetable with the funny name (in German, "kohl" means cabbage and "rabi" is dialect for turnips or radishes) doesn't get much respect hereabouts, one need only travel to Michigan, where Hamburg township proudly proclaims itself the kohlrabi capital of the world.

As far as we can ascertain, there are no other contenders for the title.

This is a traditional recipe as prepared by chef Andrew Thorpe at the Matterhorn Swiss restaurant in San Francisco.

INGREDIENTS:

4 medium kohlrabi

4 tablespoons butter

1 shallot, minced

Salt and pepper to taste

1/4 cup cream

A few grinds of nutmeg

INSTRUCTIONS:

Instructions: Remove the stems and leaves from the kohlrabi, reserving 2 or 3 of the nicest leaves. Chop the leaves and set them aside.

Peel and quarter the kohlrabi, discarding any woody parts. Cut the quarters crosswise into 1/4-inch slices.

Melt 2 tablespoons of the butter in a heavy pan. Add the shallot and cook until it has softened but not browned. Add the kohlrabi and stir to coat with butter. Add 2 tablespoons water, cover the pan and cook over low heat until the vegetable is tender, about 15-20 minutes, checking the water occasionally and adding a little more if the pan has cooked dry.

Add the cream and remaining 2 tablespoons butter. Bring to a simmer and cook until the sauce thickens slightly. Season with salt and pepper. Add nutmeg and the reserved kohlrabi leaves. Cook just until heated through.